Do I need a
high performance brake kit?
Basic braking needs are served for many people simply
with the use of upgraded pads, stainless steel lines, and fresh
rotors.
But high performance braking is another story. Quite
simply, the fundamental design of the original equipment BMW braking
system has significant compromises that cannot provide the desired
results. Original brakes, with their cost-cutting design of
floating calipers, 1-piece rotors, and smallish pad area just do not
have the thermal capacity or thermal resistance required to provide
repeatable, controllable braking.
Do you need a high performance brake kit? The
answer is a clear "There are indeed many compelling reasons that
a performance brake kit may be right for you."
The advantages of a brake kit are readily apparent
with just a little bit of analysis:
1. More disk and pad area/thickness equals better
functionality without aggressive pads.
This means that with the same type of pads, the brake
system can go through the energy conversion cycle (kinetic energy to
heat energy, and then dissipate the heat energy) of braking much more
efficiently. The "aggressive pads" of shortsighted
recommendations means "dusty" or "squealing" pads
for street use, or "chews through rotors" or "does not
work well when cold" for track use. In this one aspect, a big
brake kit gives the functionality of the "aggressive pads"
with the benefits of a milder pad.
2. Repeatability of performance
Besides the general idea of better heat management,
heat issues affect other aspects of the braking system. In addition to
simply being able to withstand harder use, a performance brake kit
will be able to deliver the performance over and over without
overheating. While a standard brake setup may be able to accomplish a
"hero" stop from high speed once, the performance brake kit
will do it again and again without overheating the pads, rotors,
calipers, or fluid.
3. Lighter weight.
The original BMW brakes use cast iron calipers, and
1-piece cast iron rotor disks. In contrast, the UUC/Alcon brakes
use lighter-weight aluminum calipers and 2-piece rotors with
lightweight aluminum hats (the center section). Depending on the
exact model, the UUC/Alcon brake kits save up to 20lbs of
unsprung weight at each axle. For a racecar, this is a huge amount of
weight. For a street car, it is still significant enough for sensitive
drivers to notice. For more details on brake weight reduction, please click
here.
4. Better pedal feel and feedback.
The key to a good relationship is communication. For
the relationship between driver and car that makes for good
performance driving, "talking" is equally critical. The
difference between a performance brake kit's calipers and the standard
calipers is a fundamental change in the basic design. A performance
brake kit uses a "fixed" caliper that is rigidly mounted,
the only moving part being the pistons that clamp the pads against the
rotors. In contrast, the standard calipers use a "floating"
design for economy that moves the entire caliper to clamp the rotor.
The caliper itself moves on rubber-isolated guide pins, and the flex
and looseness of these rubber guide bushings is what gives the
standard calipers a soft or mushy feel which is also affected by heat
and wear. As such, the difference in performance driving (where the
brakes will expectedly get hot) is dramatically apparent. The
performance brake kit is capable of much finer modulation and control.
Good performance brakes "talk" to the driver.
5. Lower operating costs.
This may seem counter-intuitive, that once the initial
price hurdle is overcome, using a performance brake kit can be cheaper
than using standard brakes. First of all, the oversized components
last longer because they are less stressed than the standard
components. Secondly, in the UUC/Alcon kit, consumables such as pads
are usually less expensive than the standard equivalents by 15%-30%.
For a comparative analysis of the UUC/Alcon brake kit versus competing
brands, please click here.
Looking further at the simple "do I need a
high performance brake ki?t" question, let's consider what we do
with our cars and what it is that the performance driver actually needs.
Does your car need stickier tires, performance
suspension, or motor upgrades?
You don't need any of this if all you are doing
is using the car as basic transportation. You don't need a BMW
at all when a basic Chevy Cobalt will comfortably and reliably
transport five adults anywhere you like. For comparison, pure
"performance cars" such as Porsches and Ferraris always have
standard equipment brakes of the same type as aftermarket brake kits
offered for BMW. Those manufacturers are not making any concessions,
they are simply delivering performance. Unfortunately, as BMWs have to
appeal to a broader customer base, some without performance needs, we
BMW owners get shorted in that category.
But you buy a BMW for a reason. Hopefully it's
the good "I enjoy a performance car" reason. And in
generally, those that have sought a performance car also continue to
seek ways to get more performance. "Wanting better" is an
ongoing quest, not a destination.
Maybe not everyone needs brakes with a higher
level of capability, but enthusiasts, performance drivers, and racecar
drivers who honestly evaluate the benefits usually realize that they do
need performance brakes. Except for the racing classes that
require standard brakes, the racers that consistently win insist on a
performance brake kit. For the Alcon brand, this is
represented as an ongoing history of wins in various venues such as
Formula 1, WRC (World Rally Championship), IRL, NASCAR, BMW CCA, NASA,
and SCCA. Alcon also consults and supplies components for
the Motorsport departments of Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda (Dome), Peugeot,
Renault, Volkswagen, Aston Martin, Brabus, Jaguar, Land Rover,
Porsche, and Prodrive.